Once thought to occur only in birds and mammals in the Northern Hemisphere, due to the more pronounced winters, we now know torpor is widespread in small Australian mammals.
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Articles on Marsupials
Displaying 1 - 20 of 40 articles
Ten years ago, we feared Tasmanian devils would be wiped out by a bizarre infectious facial cancer transmitted by biting. But new genetic analysis shows they are evolving to live with the disease.
Paleontologists have discovered fossil remains belonging to an enormous 'toothed' bird that lived for a period of about 60 million years after dinosaurs.
The revamped citizenship test would include questions focused on "Australian values". But why not ask prospective Australians to show an understanding of our ancient landscape and unique species too?
The "Tasmanian tiger" was hunted to extinction based on its perceived size as a predator big enough to take sheep. But it seems this was just a tall tale, and the thylacine weighed just 16.7kg.
The sugar glider is an icon of the Australian bush. But discovering it's actually three distinct species has big consequences for its conservation.
The extinct _Mukupirna_ - which translates to 'big bones' - is estimated to have been more than four times larger than any living wombat.
These megafauna were the largest land animals to live in Australia since the time of the dinosaurs.
These Aussie diggers boost the health of our soils. But up until recently, we didn't know just how much soil they can turn over (hint: it's a lot).
The main food for the mountain pygmy-possum’s spring/summer breeding season is the migratory bogong moth, but in 2017 and 2018 billions of bogong moths failed to arrive. Then the bushfires did.
Animals that pause their pregnancies could help us learn valuable lesson about human pregnancy, and even unlock secrets to stem cells and cancer.
A new analysis of an extinct giant kangaroo skull suggests it was adapted to eat tough, woody material - a feeding style not found in any modern marsupials.
We used to think a marsupial mum didn't know when she was pregnant, but new research shows that's wrong. And that could help in conservation of endangered species.
Giving female marsupials a sniff of prospective partners increases the chance of a successful love connection.
Rewilding is gaining popularity around the world, as a means to restore ecosystems to their ancient state. But just like Vegemite, Australian rewilding projects need to have a unique flavour.
The koala genome, published today, gives us new and valuable information to aid conservation of this marsupial. It identifies special genes that evolved to adapt the koala to its unique lifestyle.
A new documentary makes some controversial claims about the health of kangaroo populations. But the real threat is not to Australia's iconic kangaroos -- it's to dozens of other, obscure species.
The new Tasmanian tiger genome reveals some fascinating facts about this extinct marsupial, including why they were so similar to dogs, and how they were growing more vulnerable to genetic disease.
'Marsupial lions' aren't really lions - but they did have teeth that formed a pair of secateur-like blades. The newly found species lived in forests of Queensland around 20 million years ago.
Studies of the fossil teeth of the three-tonne Diprotodon have revealed the now-extinct beast was Australia's only known seasonally migrating marsupial.
Top contributors
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Professor, The Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University
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Associate Professor in Zoology, University of Tasmania
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Lecturer in Palaeontology, The University of Queensland
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ARC DECRA Fellow, University of Melbourne
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Professor, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, UNSW
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Reproductive Biologist, Wildlife Conservation & Science, Zoos Victoria, and Honorary Research Associate, BioSciences, University of Melbourne
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Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
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Professor of Wildlife Conservation, University of Tasmania
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Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Sydney
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Associate Professor, School of Environmental & Rural Science, University of New England
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Professor, Griffith School of Environment and Science, Griffith University
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Professor, Pangea Research Centre, UNSW
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Executive Director, Long Term Ecological Research Network; Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University
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Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, University of Sydney
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Adjunct Associate Professor, Western Sydney University
